It Just Takes Courage
by SlightlyHazardous
Summary: The intensity of his gaze startled her.  The look in his eyes was deep and filled with some sort of emotion. If only she could figure out what it was...    Rated T to give me more freedom for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is just a story I wanted to write, theres not specific time line. So even though Fred and Hermione wouldn't be in school together they are. So there you go! I don't know if I need a disclaimer but I don't own the material surprisingly enough. Hope you enjoy! I have other chapters written already and I'd like some feedback before I post them : )**

Chapter 1

Hermione's head jerked up violently as she woke, startled by her surroundings. As she slowly came back to her senses, she began to remember where she was. Sighing with defeat, she began to collect her books from the library table. She was frustrated that she had fallen asleep, but knew that if she continued to study until the exam, she would just be too tired in the morning and probably do worse on her midterms.

It wasn't until she was halfway done packing up her books when she realized someone had placed a teacup near the corner of her table. The cup was familiar, clearly having come from the Great Hall. The tea was still steaming, indicating that either someone had charmed the cup to stay warm, or had just recently put it there. She looked around frantically for a moment, wondering if she would catch a glimpse of whoever had left it there. Seeing no one, she cautiously picked it up, and noticed that the honey in the tea had been enchanted. Instead of sinking to the bottom of the cup, it floated on the surface in the shape of a heart.

Though she thought it was a rather corny gesture, she smiled to herself and started to walk out of the library. As she passed the waste bin by the door she emptied the contents of the cup into it. After all, her parents had always taught her not to drink something when she was not absolutely sure what it was. Who knows? Maybe someone had slipped in a Weaselys' Wizard Wheezes candy.

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The Great Hall was filled with groggy students that morning. Everyone had been up late studying far exams. Hermione sat between Harry and Ron as per usual, and was scooping scrambled eggs onto her plate when she felt a sudden weight on her shoulder.

"Ugh! Ron! You're drooling on my shoulder!" She yelled as she pushed him to the side.

"Wha-, what happened?" He replied lazily, scratching his head. Hermione let out a big sigh and continued filling her plate. As she began to eat, her eyes roamed the Gryffindor table. Her attention was immediately focused on the Weasely twins, as Fred started to nudge his brother with his elbow. George smiled, and at the same moment they both lifted their arms in a wide stretch and yawned as big as they could. The ripple affect was instant, as one by one students began to yawn in reaction.

Hermione scowled, as she too couldn't help but yawn. She immediately became more tired from the act. Ginny, feeling the same frustration, threw a biscuit in the twins direction. The twins just laughed, as this was the only retaliation they had to deal with, since everyone else was too tired to act.

The rest of breakfast went by rather slowly. Towards the end activity seemed to increase, as students began to switch from being tired to extremely nervous. Hermione began to hastily pack up her things when she realized she only had ten minutes to get to her class. Though in reality this was more than enough time, Hermione was extremely paranoid about being late, no longer having a Time-Turner to save herself if in a crunch. She wished her friends luck and left the table, not noticing Fred's stare as she walked away.

Seeing Fred was distracted, George began to quickly snatch the remaining sausages from his plate, as they where the last ones available.

"Oi!" Fred called out once he realized what was going on. George smiled with a mouth full of sausage.

"Uf oo wur pay-n uten-" Fred smacked the back of George's head, forcing him to swallow and cough. "As I was saying before you almost killed me-" George continued in between coughs, "If you weren't busy goggling at Hermione-" This earned George another smack. "Blimey! What the-"

"Sorry, I didn't think you said it loud enough for everyone at the table to hear!" Fred whispered as loud as he could.

"Oh shut it," George replied. "And let me get through a damn sent-" Fred smacked him again just for the fun of it.

"Come on, or we'll be late for exams" Fred said while he smiled. The two twins hurried out the Great Hall, running through the corridors.

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Hermione flopped herself on one of the couches in the Gryffindor common room. She was finally finished with midterm exams, and all she wanted to do was lie in front of the fireplace until Harry and Ron were let out.

"Excuse me, but do you think I could maybe get my book back? You're kind of sitting on it" Hermione turned her head around and immediately straightened herself up when she realized who it was. Cormac McLaggen was leaning with his shoulder against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest, holding a cup of tea. He smiled as he noticed Hermione blush once she realized who he was.

Hermione was instantly embarrassed. She had thought she was alone in the common room, and was therefore not presentable at all. As she quickly adjusted her uniform and ran her fingers through her hair, she examined him.

She had never actually talked to Cormac, only known him from other's interpretations. The girls of her year were infatuated by his looks, though she knew not much of his personality. She couldn't blame her classmates, for while she stared at him she became slightly mesmerized. He was tall, about 6'5", and built to match. His blonde hair was short and slightly messy, in the "I just rolled out of bed" kind of look. He had a cocky grin, which slightly bothered her, but she couldn't help but overlook it as he stood before her. Realizing that she was taking too long to respond, she began to search the couch, finding his book right under her.

"Sorry about that…" she said shyly, holding out the book for him to grab. Instead of reaching for it, he walked over and sat next to her, putting down the cup he held on the coffee table. Hermione let out a slight gasp when she saw that the cup was from the Great Hall, just like the one that had been left out for her in the library the other day.

Cormac looked at her, raising one eyebrow with a slight smile. "Did something startle you?" he asked in an amused sort of way.

"Oh, nothing." She replied, embarrassed. "Its just that, well, your cup. Isn't that from the Great Hall?" She couldn't help but maybe think that he was the one who had left her the cup of tea.

He continued to smile, "Promise not to tell on me?" he asked as he laughed. "I didn't realize it was such a big deal to snag a cup. I guess I'm just a rebel."

Hermione giggled at his joke like a little schoolgirl before immediately stopping herself. _Get a grip, _she thought, _a cute boy talks to you and you start acting like moron._ Her thoughts were interrupted when he spoke again.

"I'm Cormac McLaggen, by the way. You're Hermione Granger right? One of our prefects?"

"Yes, I am. Which means I might just have to report you to Professor McGonagall." He looked taken aback for a moment before he realized she had been joking.

"I almost took you seriously for a second there Granger," he retorted with a slight chortle. Hermione cringed for a second. That laugh was not flattering at all. It didn't take long for her to forget about it though, his smile was just so enchanting. "Well," he continued, getting back up from the couch and stretching. "I'm going to go take a nap. Keep the cup, maybe it will teach you to live it up a bit, " he winked at her as he took his book and headed over to the steps.

When he was out of sight, Hermione sighed and slumped back into the couch. Had he winked when he mentioned the cup? She smiled to herself as she nestled into the cushions. It seemed as if he was trying to give her a hint with that last comment, maybe he was the one who had left her the cup that night….

"Ow!" she yelped when a sudden weight landed on her thigh.

"Sorry Hermione, but you know these couches are for everyone right?" Fred grinned as she squirmed from under him.

"Honestly Fred, sometimes….what time is it? Did I fall asleep?" Hermione rubbed her eyes as she sat up, realizing that the fire was reduced to a few flickering flames, and the sun no longer streamed through the windows.

"Its almost eleven, and since you didn't know that I'm guessing you've missed dinner," he replied. As her hair fell in front of her face, he began to reach his hand out to brush it away before he realized what he was doing. He mentally kicked himself as he immediately dropped his hand. Even looking as drowsy as she did, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful her face looked in the dim light of the fire.

The halted gesture went unnoticed by Hermione. "Thanks for not noticing I wasn't at the dinner table," she joked.

"Oh Hermione, sometimes its just painfully obvious the way you pine after me." He replied jokingly as he stretched his arm around her dramatically.

"Oh god Fred" She laughed as she brushed off his arm.

"If you must know, George and I were busy testing out some new products and were too caught up to stop. I was just about to head over to the kitchens to grab a bite, care to join?"

Hermione contemplated going, but she was afraid it would be a bit awkward. While she and Fred were friends, they had never technically spent any time alone together. They had only had moments such as this, brief conversations in the common room or at the Burrow. "I think I'll just go to bed, I'm really not that hungry…" she was interrupted by a large growl from her stomach.

Fred laughed as he grabbed her hand and dragged her off of the couch. "Well that is clearly not true. Don't worry, it may be after hours, but you're traveling with a Weasely twin. Trust me, we won't get caught.

She gave up protesting as he continued to haul her out of the common room and through the portrait.

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**A/N: Hope you like the beginning! More will be up soon if you guys do!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I know its quick to be uploading, and technically I haven't received any reviews...But: im submitting this chapter because I have a lot of stuff to do for the next couple of days or so and wanted to put it up. **

**I havent gotten any reviews yet...but some of you have added me to alerts so ill take that as encouragement. I'd really appreciate some feedback tho**

**ENJOY!**

Fred seemed to know the castle corridors inside and out, expertly avoiding Filch and Mrs. Norris as he navigated Hermione and himself towards the kitchen. After initially grabbing Hermione's hand to drag her out of the common room, he had neglected to let go. Together they walked through the school, hand in hand.

While Fred seemed not to notice his continuous grip on Hermione, she certainly did. Thinking it was awkward, she thought about pulling her hand away. Before she did, she came to the conclusion that it was probably smarter not to. Fred clearly hadn't noticed what he was doing. If she pulled away, it would bring attention to the fact that they were holding hands, and the situation would become extremely awkward. So, instead of letting go, Hermione just followed his lead.

Afraid to talk in fear of getting caught, she turned her attention to study Fred's features. While she had never really considered him before, she began to realize that Fred was actually rather handsome.

He was taller than her, about 6'3", his flaming red hair giving him a slightly daring look. While he was thin, years of Quidditch had really been kind to him. Walking slightly behind him gave her full view of his broad back, his shirt hugging to his finely defined muscles as he moved.

She blushed as she realized what she was thinking. Fred was a Weasely, her best friend's brother. But she couldn't help herself from admiring his features. His face was filled with concentration as he guided them through the tricky corridors, accenting his strong jaw….

She shook the thoughts out of her head. She was clearly too hungry to be thinking straight.

"Ah, here we are" Fred announced, breaking the silence. They stood in front of a large portrait of a bowl of fruit. He reached up his hand toward the painting, causing Hermione to let it go. He paused for a moment as he realized what he had been doing and blushed. Ignoring the moment, he continued to raise his hand and began tickling one of the pears.

"What are you doi-" Hermione was interrupted as the pear changed into a doorknob. "Oh!" she exclaimed. Fred smiled at her reaction.

"Welcome Hermione, to the wonderful Hogwarts Kitchen!" Fred swooped both of his arms in an introductory manner towards the now open door. The kitchen was filled with house elves who, upon noticing their arrival, immediately swarmed around them holding up platters of food.

"Dobby?" Fred called. "Would you mind setting up a private table for me and Granger over here?"

"Dobby would be delighted sir!" the small house elf exclaimed. Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him. Wearing a small blue sweater, his neon orange and yellow socks clashed horribly. Dobby could not stop jumping up and down as he pulled Hermione and Fred away from the other house elves towards a small table in the corner of the room.

"I hope you don't mind," Fred said sheepishly while running his hand through his messy hair. "It's a lot easier to just eat here than try to sneak the food out. Once, George and I had to bolt around a corner to avoid Filch. I accidentally stepped on his cloak and tripped him. His face landed in the vat of pudding." Hermione laughed and sat down as a she pulled out her own chair. Dobby had tried to do this for her, but she detested.

"Its really not an issue. I highly doubt I would be able to wait until we got back to the common room anyway, I'm starving!"

They stayed there for over an hour, laughing and talking about random things that had happened that week. Hermione was surprised at how much fun she was having. Every now and then they kept being interrupted by Dobby who, clearly trying to set a romantic mood, kept bringing out decorations. Instead of turning the situation into an awkward moment, it became an on running joke.

"Well, we've got candles, flowers, what else do you think he's going to bring out?" Fred asked, taking a sip of his butterbeer. At that moment, Dobby came out with a picture of a starry night, which he began to hang on the wall. Fred choked on his beverage, as he couldn't stop from laughing. "Dobby, are you serious?" Hermione joined in his laughter.

"Dobby is just trying to make things prettier for Mr. Weasely and his guest," Dobby said with a smile, "Dobby is just trying to help!" He then took their plates and scurried out of the room.

Hermione, feeling a bit light headed from the butterbeer, forgot to chide Dobby for waiting on them, and instead continued to laugh. It was then her leg accidentally brushed Fred's from under the table. A jolt of energy ran through her, causing her to immediately sit up. Fred had clearly been affected by the touch as well, and awkwardly shifted in his chair. Hermione looked down to avoid Fred's eyes so she would not have to acknowledge the awkward moment.

"We better get going, it's getting really late and we really shouldn't be out." Hermione interjected, hoping to lessen the tension that now seemed to fill the room. When she finally found the courage to look up, she found herself staring into his eyes.

He looked at her with concern. Why had that moment rattled him as much as it did? It was just a slight leg brush, yet he had been sure he had felt somewhat of an electric jolt when he touched her. And now, as he stared at her confused, she stared back at him. He couldn't help but get lost in her large, innocent brown eyes. Realizing that he had been silent for too long, he broke the eye contact and looked towards the door.

"And here I thought you had forgotten about the rules," he said as he turned back to her, flashing a crooked smile. "Lets get going then"

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It had taken twenty minutes of politely declining before they were able to escape the house elves pleas to take food with them. As they were turning a corner, Hermione was immediately slammed into a small doorway by Fred's body. Before she could say anything in protest, he placed her hand over his mouth. She tried to look up at his face to see what was going on but she couldn't, his body being pressed up too tightly against hers.

The sound of footsteps answered her questions. As she listened carefully, she identified them as Snape's, due to their painfully slow pace and the sound of his cloak sweeping across the floor. It did not take long for her thoughts to be distracted however, as Fred pushed them further into the doorway. An attempt to keep from being seen, it caused him to press harder onto Hermione.

Hermione's face was right against Fred's chest. When she tried to look up, all she could see was his chin. The butterbeer she had consumed was still slightly affecting her, and she rested her head on his chest while she waited for Snape to pass. She smiled as she did so; the scent of his shirt was somewhat intoxicating.

When the footsteps faded away and the coast was clear, neither of them moved. They just stood there, lying against each other. Fred had tilted his head down over hers in a protective stance while they had been hiding, as if he was trying to cover her whole body as they hid. He loved the way her body seemed to just meld with his. His muscles tensed as he felt the warmth of her breath on his chest. Closing his eyes, he became captivated by the smell of her hair. He took a deep breath and seemed to inhale apples and cinnamon.

Finally coming back to his senses, Fred coughed and backed away from Hermione. He stood uncomfortably, shuffling his feet a bit before he finally settled in a discomforted stance. "Coast is clear…"

The amount of awkwardness loaded in that statement was too much for her. She cringed as she stepped away from the doorway, accidentally tripping into him.

Fred caught her with ease, grabbing on to her shoulders. As he pushed her back up again, her eyes met his. The intensity of his gaze startled her. The look in his eyes was deep and filled with some sort of emotion. If only she could figure out….their eye contact was broken when Fred immediately looked away.

"Geeze Hermione, I didn't realize how much you wanted to touch me" He joked, trying to lighten the mood. Hermione smacked him lightly on the shoulder. The tension in the room immediately disappeared.

"Oh shush, " she said as she began to yawn. "Lets get back before someone else walks by."

With that, they both hurried back into the common room and up into their separate dorms, contemplating about their nights as they laid in their beds.

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Fred tossed and turned, unable to go to sleep. George threw his pillow in an attempt to stop all the rustling. "I don't know what to do George." He said has he continued to toss and turn.

"I think you should shut up and go to sleep" George replied, exhausted. "Oh, and can you throw my pillow back?" Fred threw back a book before the pillow, earning a loud "Umph!" from George.

George attempted to throw the book back, but fell asleep instead, dropping the book near his bed as he passed out mid-throw.

_Unbelievable, _thought Fred. He flipped over once more and stared at the wall. The night kept repeating over and over in his head. The brush of their legs from under the table, the long embrace they held in the doorway….._Stop it!_ He hit himself on the head with his hand, trying to physically knock out the thoughts. He rolled over and prepared himself for a long sleepless night.

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Hermione began to change in her pajamas when she felt something in the pocket of her robes. She pulled out a petite enchanted otter figurine, smaller than the palm of her hand.

The miniature creature circled around her open hand until it curled up in the middle, using its head and its tail to form the small shape of a heart.

She stood there for a moment with her palm outstretched. It was so beautiful. Lightly, she placed it inside the teacup in her night side table and contemplated to herself as she continued to get changed and go to bed. She wondered who could've placed it in her robes.

She blushed as she thought of Fred, but then quickly scolded herself for being so foolish. True, there were so many moments where he could have slipped in her pocket; they had been pressed up against a wall hadn't they? She sighed. Fred was her best friend's brother, someone who probably viewed her only as a little sister.

Who else would have had the opportunity to slip something into her robes without her noticing? As her head rested upon the pillow, she remembered about her unintentional nap on the common room couch, meaning that literally anyone in would have been able to.

She sighed and turned over. It was a problem for another night.

**Sorry if it was too short, next chapter will prob be up next week. Thanks for reading, please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, In your dreams bby x3, you made my life with your review lol first and only one. still posting the story because i wrote it so theres nothing else to do lol have fun! sorry its short but i updated a couple of days ago so i think that makes up for it**

Hermione and Ginny sat on the bleachers, watching the boys play Quidditch in the crisp winter air. It was a surprisingly warm day for winter, and everyone wanted to take advantage. They only had a few says left until they departed on the Hogwarts Express for winter break.

"So tell me exactly what's been happening," Ginny asked, her eyes watching Harry as he flew around the stadium.

"Well, the last night before finals I found an enchanted teacup with a heart on it, and last night someone slipped the otter figurine in my robes." She explained. Ginny was one of the only girls she was really close to, the only person she could talk about this with.

"Well that's weird," Ginny responded. "Any idea whom it might be?" The cheering on the field caused Hermione to look up, clapping when she realized Ron had just made a difficult save.

Fred watched from his broomstick as Hermione stared at her brother and scowled. He was interrupted with a smack on his head from George's bat. He turned to glower at George, who responded by rolling his eyes as he zoomed away. This interaction went completely unnoticed by Ginny and Hermione, who were wrapped up in their own problems.

"Promise you won't judge me when I tell you who I want it to be?" Hermione asked Ginny hesitantly.

"I know you have a crush on Fred, Hermione." Ginny said as she laughed, "God knows why, but I know that you do." Hermione pushed Ginny playfully to the side.

"Oh shut it, its not like you don't have a crush on Harry." She retorted. Ginny blushed.

"Yea? Well at least Fred doesn't know you like him. Everyone knows I've had a crush on Harry since I was like, five. If he liked me he would have done something by now…" her voice drifted off as she became distracted by her own thoughts.

"Hush Ginny," Hermione said comfortingly, "You know Harry, it takes awhile for him to see exactly what's in front of him."

"I guess you're right." Even though she replied, Ginny was still distracted.

"Hey, I'm going to go inside and grab us a treat. That should make you feel better." Hermione rubbed Ginny's back quickly as she stood up. "I'll be right back."

Fred watched her while she left, wondering where she was off to.

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Hermione walked down the hall with some chocolate frogs in her pockets, heading back to the field.

"And where exactly are you off to Granger?" Hermione was startled by Cormac's sudden appearance, and lost her balance. Before she was able to stumble Cormac firmly grabbed her arms, allowing her to straighten up. "Sorry, I didn't realize that my good looks would startle you." Hermione laughed, thinking he was being sarcastic. She didn't realize his confused expression at her reaction. He hadn't told a joke, so why was she laughing?

He shrugged it off and shifted his arms from Hermione's to her hands. "I was wondering, if you weren't too busy tonight, if you'd like to accompany me to The Three Broomsticks?"

Hermione was concentrating on the fact that he was holding both of her hands. While it was an affectionate gesture, it was rather awkward. "That sounds great Cormac," she said as she looked up. She still did not know him very well, but his classic good looks made him hard to reject.

"Good," he flashed her a charming smile and dropped her hands. "Meet me in the common room at 5." He began to walk past but then paused, and turned back around. "Oh, and Hermione?" She turned her head to face him again.

"Yea?" he reached out and grasped her chin, tilting it upward towards his face. He lightly pressed his lips against hers.

"Don't forget….5 o'clock. " Cormac then turned and strutted down the hallway.

Hermione turned back towards her original direction and continued to walk, her thoughts racing. While she knew she should be feeling elated by the kiss, she just felt confused, and a little agitated to be completely honest. What was with that strut?

She turned the corner and slammed straight into a hard surface.

"Oi! Watch it!" Fred barked, his face flushed.

"Sorry Fred," she responded, taken aback by his harsh tone. "I didn't mean to-"

"Just forget it." He snapped, furious. It wasn't supposed to happen like that. When Fred had seen Hermione leave the field he waited a bit before following her, hoping to run into her in the hallway and start a conversation. He had been rudely mistaken, for when he had turned the corner he saw Cormac grab her face and slam his fat lips on top of hers. Shocked and disheartened by what he had seen, he turned back around the corner and stood there, grabbing at his hair as his frustration began to take hold. That was when Hermione had bumped into him.

Hermione was agitated by Fred's reaction. All she had done was bump into him, and she didn't understand why he seemed so angry. Assuming it must be due to something that happened on the field, she tried to be more understanding.

She reached out her arm in a comforting gesture, "Did something happen on the-" she abruptly stopped her sentence as Fred grabbed her arm and forced it back at her side. She tried to struggle out of his grip and found herself being aggressively pushed up against the wall. The intensity of his glare scared her.

"You don't have to act like such a git Fred!" Hermione yelled. She did nothing to warrant his attitude and she was not going to just sit there and get be mistreated. His grip immediately slackened, his eyes becoming cloudy as his glare softened.

Hermione's breath became short and shallow as he lessened the space between their faces. He hesitated, hovering just inches above her face as he stared down into her eyes. The muscles in his jaw tightening as his frustration began to rebuild.

"Oi! Fred! Time outs almost over!" Harry's voice shouted from the field.

The call seemed to snap Fred out of a trance, as he hastily dropped his grip from Hermione and abruptly walked away, leaving her panting with her back against the wall.

She let her shoulders shift down the brick surface, landing on the floor. _What on earth had just happened?_

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"Thank god the Hogwarts Express is coming today," Hermione said to Ginny, packing up the last of her books. "I really don't think I could have survived another day here."

"Come one Hermione," Ginny replied with a smile. "Was the date really that bad?"

"You have no idea!" Hermione flopped herself onto Ginny's bed. "So yea, he's handsome and all, but my god! It's a wonder he doesn't carry a mirror around all day!" Ginny laughed.

The date had gone terribly. The whole thing started to fall apart the moment she had met Cormac in the common room. From her perspective, he could have (and should have) been on the date by himself. Merlin knows he would have been just as happy.

There were many reasons why things had not worked. "First off, I could never get a sentence in. He would ask for my opinion, and then get this, answer for me. What is that?" Ginny couldn't help but laugh as Hermione tried to do her best impression of him.

She slicked her hair back with her hand, "Did you know my family was one of the first to retaliate against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? Of course you did, they're famous for it" she said with a pretentious drawl. "He literally stared at himself every time we passed a reflective window."

"Are you sure that's the only reason you're in a fuss?" Ginny asked Hermione, raising one eyebrow. Hermione knew she was referring to Fred's perplexing episode in the hallway the day before.

"There is something wrong with you're brother." Hermione replied flatly. She had returned to the bleachers after Fred had left her, and explained the whole thing to Ginny. The more she talked about it, the more irritated she became.

"I swear it was like it was his time of the month. All week he was being so nice, and suddenly, he snapped" she said, confused. "Are you sure nothing had happened to him on the Quidditch field?"

"Positive, if there was you would have seen it. He had called a time out only moments after you left, and then went inside." When Hermione heard these words she froze. Had he seen her interaction with Cormac in the hallway? Had he been jealous? She scowled at herself for thinking such things. Obviously that couldn't be the case, could it?

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Fred paced the room angrily as he threw random things at his bed in an attempt to start packing. Last night he was a wreck. When he had entered the common room that day, he only found Ron and Harry playing Wizard's chess by the fire.

"_Where's the other third of your threesome?" Fred inquired, trying to sound completely nonchalant. _

"_Out on a date with that pretentious git Cormac," replied Ron. Harry laughed. _

Fred's face became red with anger.

"Calm down Fred, its not the end of the world. Let's go ask the house elves to help us pack, because you clearly aren't doing it right." George suggested. Fred shrugged in response, knowing that his brother was just trying to find ways to distract him.

As they shuffled down the steps, they heard voices coming down the passageway leading towards the girl's dormitories.

"Trust me, hell will have to freeze over before I even consider going on another date with that pompous jerk." Fred smiled, recognizing Hermione's voice. George rolled his eyes.

"Honestly Fred, you're smiling like a baboon." George teased, secretly happy that Fred was finally going to start acting like himself again.

Fred seemed to be contemplating for a moment before he turned around and headed back up the steps. "I'll meet you by the painting, I just forgot something upstairs" he called down. George shrugged his shoulders and continued on without him.

"All ready?" Ginny asked Hermione as she prepared to carry her luggage down the stairs.

"Yup, just one more thing." She carefully wrapped the teacup and otter in a sweater before placing them in her trunk. "Alright, ready!"

As they made their way down the stairs, Hermione yelped and grabbed her foot. Looking down at what had caused her so much pain, she realized she had just stepped on a small box,

"What is it?" Ginny asked as she placed down her trunks. Hermione bent down to pick the box up. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized that the lid was decorated with a single heart.

Opening the box, she smiled as a sweet melody began to play. Inside, she found a small note. She anxiously unraveled it, curious to see what her secret admirer had to say.

_"Way to assume this was for you, Hermione….even though it is"_

She couldn't help but laugh as she handed it to Ginny to read. Ginny smirked, she immediately recognized the note as one of her brother's antics. She thought it better to keep this secret from Hermione, acknowledging that it was not her secret to tell.

"Stop blushing like an idiot, we've got a train to catch!" Ginny exclaimed. Hermione smiled and repacked her bags up.

"I'm going to miss you Ginny!" She said, brushing back tears.

"Oh shush, you'll be visiting me at the Burrow in two weeks!" They hugged momentarily before heading out of the common room, excited for winter vacation.


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally got some reviews! made me so excited. I"m really glad that you guys are enjoying this story! Heres the next chapter, tell me what you think! **

The following two weeks Hermione spent at home were slight torture. While she loved spending time with her parents, being an only child was beginning to weigh down on her. Leaving for Hogwarts at the age of 11 had resulted in her having hardly any muggle friends, and she was extremely anxious to get to the Burrow.

Mr. Weasely had arranged it so that her home fireplace would be connected to the floo network at 12. Having been packed since yesterday, she sat in front of the TV, flipping through the letters she had received from her friends back at school.

Most of them were from Ginny, it was clear from her letters that she was becoming extremely tired of her family. Ron was being a lazy git, who barely got out of bed before 3, it didn't help that Bill and Charlie were still away, while the Weasely twins spent most of their days locked up in their room, experimenting with Merlin knows what. It was clear Ginny was just as desperate as Hermione was for some company.

The clock on top of the fireplace began to chime. _Thank god!_ Hermione thought as she got up from the couch. She gave her parents a quick goodbye and then headed towards her fireplace, floo powder in hand.

"The Burrow!" She shouted as she through the powder down. She was instantly engulfed in flames.

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The first day spent at the Burrow was more activity than Hermione was ready for. Immediately upon arrival, after being greeted by the family of course, she was whisked away and enlisted with the other Weaselys and Harry for chore duty.

After a full day of de-gnoming, cooking, cleaning, and other countless tasks Mrs. Weasely had forced her children and guests to do, everyone collapsed on the couch.

"One more thing-" Mrs. Weasely began before she was interrupted by a series of groaning. "Honestly, you lot make it seem as if I'm torturing you!" she retaliated.

"Because you do…" muttered a disgruntled George. Mrs. Weasely sent a stern glower in his direction.

"Would you like to take care of the ghoul in the attic George?"

"Mum! I'm not George, I'm Fred!"

"You git! He's a liar!" One of the twins shouted, by this point no one else in the room could tell who was whom anymore.

"Why I ought a-" One twin leapt at the other and the two became hidden in a cloud of red hair and flailing limbs. The cloud rumbled around the living room a bit before traveling up the steps and most likely into their room. Ron shook his head with disbelief.

"Those sneaky bastards. " He snorted, knowing full well the whole fiasco was a plot to get out of more chore work.

"Merlin's Beard. If you would all just listen to me then maybe you would have realized that I am offering you all a reward!" Mrs. Weasely barked. Those remaining on the couch straightened up, suddenly eager to hear what she had to say. "Because you have all been so cooperative, until a second ago, I'm letting you all take a trip to Diagon Alley for the evening. Don't make me regret this idea." While she had tried to keep her face stern, the corners of her mouth twitched upright, knowing that her children were going to be extremely appreciative.

Fred and George apparated back into the living room. "Thanks Mum!" They shouted simultaneously before giving her a hug. Mrs. Weasely blushed and battered her sons away.

"Get going you lot, I want you all back before 1!" She ordered. She hadn't finished speaking before they had all run out of the living room to get ready.

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What was supposed to be a casual night out turned into an all night rager when it was discovered to be Karaoke Night at the Leaky Cauldron. After it was realized that inhibitions would need to be lowered for everyone to participate, Fred and George suggested a friendly drinking game. This quickly changed into a chug fest when they provoked Ron by doubting his drinking abilities against Harry's. While Ginny and Hermione were smart enough to stay out of that, they had agreed to a few drinks. Not having high tolerances however, they quickly reached the same level of those around them.

"OH NO NOT I, I WILL SURVIVE! OH! AS LONG AS I KNOW HOW TO LOVE I KNOW ILL STAY ALIVE!" Ron shouted a little too enthusiastically into the microphone.

"Jesus, how many drinks has Ron had?" George asked Fred, bewildered by the site of his younger brother gyrating his hips to the music. Fred laughed.

"Not enough, Forge, not enough. GO ICKLE RONNIEKINS!" Fred immediately hopped on stage to join Ron. Hermione laughed at the spectacle of the Weasely brothers as they belted their hearts out. Her jaw dropped open when she noticed something else going on in the corner. Harry and Ginny, who had previously been having a conversation about Quidditch, were now full frontal snogging in a booth. It was definitely turning into a memorable night.

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"Shit! It cant be!" Ginny, finally deciding to glance down at her watch, realized that it was one am, the exact time Mrs. Weasely was expecting them all to be home. "Harry, help me round up the troops. We need to get home. Now. " Harry was always one to sober up when the occasion called for it, and this was that moment.

Scrambling around the bar, they managed to wrangle everyone together, only to realize that Fred was missing. "I'll look for him!" slurred George, clearly not coherent enough for the job. Hermione sighed.

"I'll go with George, you guys head back to the Burrow and distract Mrs. Weasely if she's still up!" she said while following George out of the inn and into the streets of Diagon Ally. It didn't take long before they spotted Fred, looking quite lost as he wandered back and forth between an alleyway.

"George!" Hermione called, "He's over here!" The moment she turned her head back around however, he had disappeared.

"He's made a run for it!" George called as he began to run in Fred's direction. Too drunk to manage, he ended up crashed on the floor.

"For Heavens sake!" Hermione muttered as she sprinted down the alleyway where Fred had previously been. Whenever she would catch sight of him, he would sprint away again, laughing and pausing to wait for her to get just close enough before he repeated the whole process. "Fred Weasely I am going to kill you!" she shouted once she reached a dead end, with Fred nowhere to be found.

Extremely aggravated, she turned around and let out a yelp, being startled by that devil of a boy. "Honestly Fred you are such a prat!" He smiled mischievously at her and pushed her against the wall.

Her heart began to race. As he drew his face closer to hers, the lingering heat of each of his breaths made her heart beat faster. She gasped when he pushed his lips against hers, stealing her breath. The kiss was filled with a sense of yearning. Fred ran his hands behind Hermione's back and pulled her hips closer to him. Her breath grew quick and ragged. She could feel his mouth curl into a smile as he began to retract his lips. Not wanting it to end, she grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him back into her body before he had a chance to retreat. They fell back into the wall.

"Hermione? Where are you? Fred's apparated home!" Ginny's voice carried through the alleyway. The instant Hermione heard her words she froze and pulled herself away from the boy she had been snogging.

"G-g-g-george?" She stuttered, extremely afraid of what he was about to say.

"The one and only!" He grinned, his face suddenly contorted into one of confusion. "Where am I?" he said before passing out onto the floor.

Hermione just watched him fall, too shocked to move,

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**Any suggestions of what i should do next ? ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys, sorry for taking so long to update. School's been kind of rough lately. I'm really glad that you guys are liking the story! , you're so sweet! I keep thinking about changing the summary but I really suck at that stuff and am keep vetoing what I come up with…haha I'll figure it out. I really really appreciate all the reviews. You guys keep me writing! 3 you and hope you enjoy:

George rubbed his eyes as he awoke, exhausted from the night before. He had just had a pleasant dream, and had jerked awake when his body reacted to his "fall" he had experienced in his dream. As George rubbed the side of his hip, he felt a sharp pain.

Examining his side, he discovered a rather nasty bruise. He continued to look at the black and purple mass, confused by its presence. He hadn't actually fallen out of bed…it was just a dream right?

The shock of his realization made him jump from his bed, letting out an "umph!" as he hit his head against the ceiling. "George I'm going to kill you if you don't shut your mouth" Fred grumbled, as he shifted his pillow over his head and went back to sleep. George froze in fear.

Fred was going to kill him.

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"Hermione calm down, its not that bad…" Ginny said unconvincingly. She felt the need to say something, however, because it appeared as if Hermione was turning mad.

"This is- I don't- I think- I – what-" Hermione frantically moaned as she paced around the room, eventually plopping down on the bed as she feigned ripping her hair out. "I'm a bloody idiot." She said, finally making a clear statement.

Ginny cringed, Hermione was a bloody idiot, but she felt as if that wasn't the right thing to say at the time. "Hermione, I highly doubt that George is going to remember what happened. I mean, he was pissed," she added encouragingly. Hermione just fell back into her covers.

"But what if he tells Fred….I know I never had a chance, but I don't know, now I definitely know I don't have a chance," she explained. Ginny joined her on the bed and began to rub her back in a comforting gesture.

"Lets just head down to breakfast and see what happens. We are Gryffindors after all, gotta use that courage for something." Hermione let out a small-frustrated scream into her pillow and then agreed. The two girls tidied themselves up and headed down to the kitchen.

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The environment at the breakfast table was oddly normal. Mrs. Weasely had fallen asleep when everyone had snuck back in, and was ignorant to the fact that anything had went amiss that night. Ron, who was just as ignorant, continued to shovel food into his face. Hermione cringed as she stared at him. It baffled her that someone could be able to eat that much that fast, wizard or not.

Looking away from Ron and hoping to regain her appetite, her eyes landed on Ginny, who was displaying a slight blush. Confused she looked closer at the scene, noticing how "slyly" Harry had grabbed his hand on hers underneath the dinner table. She smiled and winked at Ginny, causing the poor girl to blush even more.

Eventually Mrs. and Mr. Weasely left the dinner table to attend to chores, and the kids were left alone. Fred smiled rather wickedly, turning his attention toward Harry. "So," he began, "Harry, I don't think its very fair that you're taking advantage over all my family has given you. I mean, eating our food is one thing, but attacking Ginny as viscously as you did last-" Fred was interrupted as a biscuit smacked him straight in the face.

"At least I got some Fred" Ginny replied, dragging Harry out of the room. Everyone at the table just laughed.

After recovering from the attack of the biscuit, Fred turned his attention over to Hermione. "What about you Hermione, lock lips with any handsome men last evening?" he joked while raising one of his eyebrows. At the same moment Hermione and George choked on their food. Fred noticed this odd reaction, and glanced at George. Feeling extremely uncomfortable, George avoided Fred's eyes and tried to change the conversation.

"Ron, are you eating for two?" Ron let out a disgruntled rumble, picked up his dish and left the kitchen.

"What is with everyone today?" Fred asked confused, "Did something happen last night?" Hermione abruptly rose from the table.

"I think I forgot-" She stopped mid-sentence, and instead of attempting to finish it, just left the room.

"Alright George, explain." Fred said, knowing that George had been acting ridiculously sketchy. George swallowed and looked down at his plate. He knew he was going to have to tell the truth. That was the thing about him and Fred, if he lied Fred would know, and in the end, that would probably hurt him even more.

"Last night, when we were trying to find you, I was really really gone….and I accidentally kissed Hermione." George looked straight at Fred in a serious fashion, making it clear this wasn't one of his jokes. Fred stared blankly back. The curiousness in his eyes had been replaced by a dull gleam of disbelief.

"Do you fancy her?" He asked flatly, still staring off in space. He just couldn't believe it. Of all people, George, his best friend. His Twin.

"Of course not! I didn't know what I was doing. I swear I thought it was a dream." George responded, desperate for Fred to understand.

Dishes crashed onto the floor as Fred lunged, grabbing George by the cuff of his shirt. The walls shook as George's body slammed against it. Instead of fighting back, he let Fred push him further against the wall, his forearm locked against his neck.

"Fred, I didn't know what I was doing! I was drunk alrigh-" He was cut off as Fred applied more pressure to his neck, cutting off his air supply. Every muscle in Fred's body was screaming.

"Fred! What are you doing!" Harry yelled. George began to cough as Fred dropped his arm.

"I don't, I'm, I've got to-" He looked over at George and then back at Harry as he started to comprehend his own actions. "I'm sorry," he finally said as he stared blankly at the ground. After hesitating for just a moment, he walked out the back door and into the garden.

"What was that about?" Harry asked George, still completely confused at the situation. He had never seen Fred in such a rage before.

"Nothing, he's just mad that I'm the more handsome twin," George winked. He knew that it was a pathetic attempt at a joke, but he hoped Harry would understand the gravity of the situation and just leave it alone. Luckily, he did.

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Hermione jumped when she heard a crash from downstairs. She placed her book down and went to check it out before she realized who exactly was down there. She sat back down, if Fred and George were fighting something big must've happened that she probably should not involve herself in. She picked up her book and continued to read, though her mind kept lingering on what might be happening in the kitchen.

After a few moments she heard footsteps coming up the steps and peaked out the crack of her door. A rather flustered looking George appeared at the stairwell. He paused to run his fingers through his hair. She continued to watch him as he walked into his room and shut the door. When he was out of sight, she turned her back to the door and sat down, her mind racing with thoughts. The kiss in the alley way was something she could not stop thinking about. It had been…well, wonderful. But that was when she had thought it was Fred…right?

"Ow!" Hermione yelped as the door pushed her violently to the side.

"Hermione, I'm sorry! I thought you were a pile of clothes," George said once he realized the resistance he had pushed so hard against with the door had actually been a person. Hermione let out a chuckle as she dusted herself off and started to get up. "Here, let me help you." As he grabbed her arms to pull her up, Hermione didn't feel the suspense or nervousness she had whenever Fred touched her. She smiled to herself as the confusion she had previously been feeling between Fred and George quickly evaporated.

"I'm sorry about last night too." George blurted out as she sat back on the bed. "I was really drunk, and I really didn't mean to….I mean, its not like I regret it or anything, your bloody hot but…I mean, I didn't…" George's face became extremely flushed as he stumbled over his words. Hermione just laughed.

"George, its fine. I realize that it was just a drunk thing." She said. George let out a sigh of relief and slumped down on the bed next to her.

"Well I'm glad that's over with," he said with a smile. "Sorry to break your heart though, love" Hermione punched him playfully in the side.

"Oh please George, you're not the one I have a crush on." Hermione replied. She instantly slapped her hand across her mouth in an attempt to shut herself up, regretting the words that had just come out of her mouth.

George sat straight up with glee. "So there's a one huh? The _other_ one" He smiled with a devilish grin as he teased her. Hermione let out a frustrated groan.

"Please shut up George." She pleaded. George continued to smile as an elaborate plan began to form in his head.

"Oh don't you worry your pretty little head Hermione, I won't tell a soul," he replied as he got up and abruptly left the room. Hermione cursed herself for being so foolish. She had recognized that face George was wearing when he left the room. He had a plan, and she was undoubtedly in it.


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